Tractor.



v. R. HANSON.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.30. m5

-SHEET 1.

rii'rimi/fmlz @r 5 2 S'HEETS Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

v. R. HANSON.

TRACTOR,

APPLICATION FILED AUG.30, x015.

Patented Apr. 1,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- FTQE VICTOR RICHARD HANSON, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

TRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed August 30, 1915. Serial No. 47,994.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIo'roR RICHARD HANSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Tractors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tractors and has among itsobjects the following: low cost of production,

of construction and greater effectiveness in a use than heretofore. Withmy improvement a great initial power is available at all times forovercoming large obstructions and the application of driving force anddistribu tion of the weight of the parts places the center of gravitylow down near the longi tudinal line of draft of the vehicle making thevehicle diflicult to tip over and powerful in pulling capacity. Theprime mover is applied at a. point closest to the work resulting in theuse of a minimum amount of transmission mechanism and in little or noloss of power between the prime mover and the ground over which thevehicletravels. The construction also obviates the use of differentialgearing which is a distinct advantage. In effect the roller elementwhich I employ acts as a broad endless track which is laid automaticallyover the surface of the ground and upon which the prime mover travelsand applies a maximum pulling force for the load. Thus thetractor isadapted for efiective use on soft ground as well as upon hard andsmoothly finishedroads.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a side elevation of a detail of my invention, a portion of theroller element being broken away; Fig. 2 is a plan of the constructionillustrated in Fig; 1, and Fig. 3 is a front view, part of the structurebeing broken away and in section; V In the drawings, A indicates arollerelement which is adapted to roll'upon the ground and form a continuoustrack upon which the prime mover B travels; The roller element consistsoftwo broad faced bands or rims 2 and 3 of substantially the samediameter situated side by side and coaxially arranged to revolve freelyof each other and being joined together by a circular guide rail 4 and aplurality of anti-friction wheels 5. The adjacent edges of the bands 2and 3 are provided with a pair of inwardly slanting flanges 6 and 7secured by simplicity the teeth of the opposite rim as a pivot.

rivets 8 or other suitable means to the rims and upon the immediatelyadjacent portions of said flanges are mounted the guide rail 4 andbrackets 9 revolubly carrying the antifriction wheels 5. Thus the rimsare swiveled together and may revolve freely of each other, but are heldlaterally together, the flanges 10 on the wheels 5 overlapping the sidesof the track 4. Located within the roller element is a carriage O in theform of a horizontal frame having pairs of carrier wheels 11 and 12 oneach side which ride upon circular guides 13 and 14 secured to the innerfaces ofthe rims, the guide 13 being carried by rim 2 and the guide labyrim 3. These guides are parallel and revolve coaxially. The innersurfaces of the guides are formed with gear teeth 15 with which pinions16 and 17 mesh, said pinions being journaled freely upon the op positeends of a drive shaft 18, which is journaled across the carriage. Thereis a clutch 19 interposed between the carriage frame and each of saidpinions, the operation of said clutches being adapted either to driveboth rims simultaneouslyor to drive one rim independent of the other,whereby a differentlal movement occurs between said rims when it isdesired to steer the roller around a curve or corner.

The prime mover B may be an internal combustion engine, such as shown orany other power element, said engine being illustrated with the usualcrank shaft 20 and rigidly mounted upon the carriage Power istransmitted from the crank shaft to said drive shaft by intermeshinggear 22. Thus power is applied by the enmediately over the work to beperformed. The steering of the vehicle is accomplished by manipulatingthe clutches 19, releasing either thereof causing power to betransmitted to one only of the rims and revolving the driven rim aboutthe bearing portion of To operate the clutches there is a bell crankclutch shifting lever 23 provided for each clutch pivoted upon thecarriage frame, one arm of said lever being pivotally attached to thedriving element of one of the clutches 19 and the other arm beingslidably engaged with a shift bar 24, which is slidable across thecarriage frame. This shift bar. holds the clutch levers with-theirconnected driving clutch elements urged in releasable clutch pinion 2.1and u w shoes 43 on the side arms farm implement or device.

engaged position by means of coil springs 25, said springs pressingagainst heads 26 on the ends of said bar and against the levers 23. Toshift the b r 24: a standard 26 is journaled on the carriage frame, saidstandard carrying a hand operable steering wheel 27 on its upper end anda pinion 28 on its lower end, the teeth of the latter meshing with rackteeth 29 on said bar 24:. Thus when the bar is moved in either directionlongitudinally from median position in which both clutches are engaged,one of the clutches is disengaged against the tension of one of thesprings 25, while the other clutch remains engaged due to the forceurged by the remaining spring 25 against the companion clutch shiftinglever.

The carriage frame 0 is formed with a side extension carrying a platform30 upon which a seat 31 is mounted convenient to the steering wheel forthe operator. Any suitable controlling mechanism (not shown) may beprovided for the engine or any suitable reverse and speed change mechanism interposed in the driving means, such devices being in common use.

To couple the vehicle to a load to be drawn, a draw bar 32 in the formof a yoke is provided, the ends of the arms of said yoke being eachprovided with a coupling pin 33 which may be pivotally engaged with aclevis 34 at each side of the rear portion of the carriage frame in anyone of a vertical series of openings 35. When desired a belt pulley 37may be mounted on the outer end of shaft 20 by which power may beutilized from the engine for driving any A main clutch 36 is alsointerposed in shaft 20 operable by a hand lever 38 by which the drivingmechanism may be connected with or disconnected from the engine or primemover. Flights 4C2 slanting endwise on the inner surfaces of the bands 2and 3 act as guides to eject earth and stone from within and roller ofthe draw-bar 32 prevent the carriage from riding too high on the guides13 by pressing downwardly upon the surface of the ground in case thebands meet with an obstruction.

Operation.

The engine revolving the crank shaft imparts motion to the pinions whichin turn transmit motion via the racks to the track members so that suchmembers are operated together or independently of one another throughthe operation of the differential clutch members. In view of the factthat the prime mover is placed, and consequently the power directed,directly over and in juxtaposition to the point of contact of the trackswith the ground an advantage results in that there is substantially noloss of power and maximum traction is attained. The

throwing in and cutting out of the main clutch controls the movement ofthe tractor, while the manipulation of the differential clutchescontrols the steering. To couple a load to the tractor, the draw bar isemployed and should an obstruction tend to impede progress of the trackmembers, guide rollers 39 journaled upon brackets 40 attached to thecarriage frame C and rolling against circular shoulders 41 on the guides13 andla, prevent the carriage and the parts mounted thereon becomingdisplaced.

In accordance with the patent statutes, 1 have described the principlesof operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to haveit understood that the construction shown is only illustrative, and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means and applied to usesother than those above set forth within the scope of the followingclaims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. A tractor, comprising, in combination, a prime mover, a rotatabledrum in two cylindrical sections adjoining their ends having inwardlyextending broad faced clearance flanges revolubly joined endwisetogether, said cylindrical portions providing tread surfaces at the endsof said structure upon the surface of ground and driven independently bysaid prime mover, whereby one of said sections may be caused to revolveabout the bearing point of the other section on the ground, and anendless guide secured to and concentric with one .of said sectionshaving a shouldered outer surface and driving means engaging said innersurface for revolving said guide and engaging said shouldered innersurface to prevent the detachment of said driving means from said guide.

2. A tractor, comprising, in combination, rotatable drum elementsindependently journaled together by their peripheries and adapted toroll upon the ground, an endless guide secured in the rim of one of saiddrum elements having a toothed inner surface and a shouldered outersurface, a carriagc having a wheel riding upon said guide and a guideroller engaging freely below the shoulder on said guide to prevent thedetachment of said carriage from said guide and a prime mover on saidcarriage having a driving gear the teeth of which mesh with the teeth ofsaid guide.

3. A tractor, comprising, in combination, a plurality of cylindricaldrums having broad faced inwardly tapering flanges, said flanges havingtheir adjacent ends movably joined by antifriction bearings, each ofsaid cylindrical drums having rolling contact with the surface of theground, an endless guide mounted within said drums and concentrictherewith, a carriage movably mounted upon said uide, a prime mover uponsaid carriage having actuating connection with said drums for propellingthe latter and means carried by said carriage and engaging freely belowsaid guides for holding said carriage against detachment from saidguides.

4. A tractor, comprising, in combination, a plurality of cylindricaldrums concentrically arranged, a pair of clearance elements carriedbetween said drums and having adjacent ends swiveled together, spacedparallel guides mounted within said drums and concentric therewith, acarriage movably mounted upon said guides, a prime mover upon saidcarriage having drivin connec: tion with said drums for prope ling thelatter, means for coupling said carriage with a load, and guide rollerscarried by said carriage and engaging freely below said guides toprevent detachment of said carriage from said guides under the pullingaction of the carriage upon a load.

5. A tractor, comprising, in combination,

a plurality of'endless broad faced rims concentrically arranged andindependently journaled, said rims having rolling contact with thesurface of the ground and being formed with inwardly tapering broadfaced adjacent flanges to permit the rims turning freely in a curve, anendless guide carried concentrically within said rims having an endlesstoothed rack, a carriage movably mounted upon said guide in close proximity to the point of contact between said rims and the surface of theground, and guide rollers carried by said carriage and engaging freelybelowsaid guides to prevent detachment of said carriage from said guidesunder the pulling action of the carriage upon a load and a prime moverupon said carriage having a gear actuating connection with said rack forthe purposes specified.

6. A tractor, comprising, in combination, a rotatable endless drum trackin two sections journaled to rotate independently upon the surface ofthe ground and formed with a broad faced clearance passage be tween saidsections to permit said sections turning freely when moving in a curve,the adjacent ends of said sections being swiveled together byantifriction bearings, an endless guide carried concentrically withineach of said sections, a prime mover riding upon the guides having anindependent actuating connection with each of said guides, means forcoupling a-load to said prime mover, and guide rollers carried by saidcarriage and engaging freely below said guides to prevent detachment ofsaid carriage from said guides under the pulling action of the carriageupon a load.

7 A tractor, comprising, in combination,

rotatable endless drum elements independently journaled and adapted toroll upon the ground, said drum elements havin adjacent broad facedinwardly tapering c ear ance flanges swiveled by their adjacent endstogether, an endless guide secured within said tracks, a prime moverriding upon said guide in juxtaposition to the point of contact of saidtracks with the ground, an operating connection between said prime moveron said tracks, and a guide roller en- 'gaging freely below said guideto hold the prime mover against detachment from said guide under thepulling action of said prime mover upon a load.

8. A tractor, comprising, in combination, rotatable endless dllllnelements independently journaled and adapted to roll upon the ground,said drum elements being swiveled endwise together, a prime mover ridingWithin and having driving connection for revolving said drum elements,and earth and stone ejectors secured to the inner surfaces of said drumelements, said ejectors having outwardly slanting surfaces adapted toremove earth and stones from within said drum elements as the drumelements revolve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

VICTOR RICHARD HANSON.

Witnesses:

W. A. MOMANIGAL, J r., F. G. BRADBURY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of l'atents, Washington, D. G.

